And as we prepared to send kids back to school
in the next month or so, some might already
be heading back. We're taking a look at how
they studied over 300 years ago with Michelle Castillo on
the scene at Historic Richmond Town in Staten Island.
That's right, Kristen. So we learned a little
bit about the Dutch settlers and now we're going to
learn about the native people who lived here before the
Lenape tribe. I'm back here with Luke G Boyd
. He's the Director of Education and Public Permit programming
here at Historic Richmond Town. So tell me a
little bit about the Lenape people who were here before
the Dutch. Absolutely. So the Lenape people lived
in this area of Staten Island for more than 10,000
years as many as 12,000 years ago. And we
know that because of the archaeology that was left behind
those folks. So this is an attempt to try
to narrate their story that's so often missing from museums
like this. So this is a wigwam. Is
this typically what they would live in? Yes,
this is, this is a typical structure for the
time period. It's a small wigwam. So it's
a dome dwelling. It's made of young trees that
are bent and it's covered in a grass like reed
called frag MS, which actually grows invasively on Staten
Island today. Now, we were earlier at the
Leer's house and that was a school house for the
Children of Dutch colonies. Would the Children of the
Lenape tribe also study there? How did they get
their education? It's possible they might have studied with
the Voy Laser. So we're talking in the 16
forties right now, the 16 nineties was the Voy
Lazer. So what happens in the middle is the
colonization of Staten Island? So bands of native folks
, rare tans, Hackensack Lenape folks who lived here
, they educated themselves. Elders would educate the younger
folks, women would do domestic activities at home,
gathering berries, working in the garden. Whereas the
men would do the hunting and the gathering of game
and for animal skins and the like. So all
of that was done in the domestic sphere at home
. Those were the skills Lenape kids needed to survive
. So let's talk a little bit more about what
typical life would be for a Lenape tribe member.
So right behind you looks like a fire pit.
Yes. What would this is where they would cook
? Yeah, this is the set that you need
this to survive. So most times Lenape folks lived
near waterways so they would gather oysters and fish and
things like that. And they prepare to move over
an open fire. If their long house or wig
, one was big enough, they might prepare it
inside, but they might prepare it outside as well
. They made their own pottery which acted as cooking
pots and pans and stuff like that. So this
would have been a centerpiece of Lenape Life. Now
, this is the newest exhibit here in Historic Richmond
Town. Can you tell me a little bit more
about what you can see here if you come here
on a typical day? Absolutely. I'd love to
. So please visit us Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. We have open village where we have
trades people and historical interpreters in costume. We are
holding mock elections in 18 20 in the tavern.
We're making things in the guy like Tyson hearth over
the open hearth. Our tin smiths are making trade
goods. Our black Smith is here, our carpenter
. You can see all these people and unlike most
museums, you can touch things, you can smell
things, you can experience history. It comes to
life at historic. Now, I just really quick
before we go, what is this structure right here
? I have to ask. Yes. So this
is called an Arbor and basically think of it like
it's an outdoor shaded room where if you need to
do something outside, you know, work on a
beaded activity, you know, making moccasins clothing,
a lot of that sort of work would be done
under this Arbor or this square one behind us as
well. So it's drizzling right now. It's not
going to give us a little bit of protection.
But, you know, there's a lot to explore
here at Historic Richmond Town. Thank you so much
for joining us and we're going to go back in
time and learn a little bit more, but back
to you guys in the studio.